LS3 V8 ND Miata Track Impressions

[@sarasotasupersportperformance]

In an effort to answer some questions before they reach our inbox...... The test car Quinn drove is fitted with brake pads and an adjustable rear swaybar both intended for street-use. While we do not offer a dedicated "Track Pack" as of yet, clients who express their intent to participate in HPDE-style track days may receive a car with much more aggressive brake pads and given the option to retain the OEM rear swaybar (in addition to the upgraded rear swaybar, all at no additional cost) if they have an inner-knucklehead like Quinn does. We'll be back for that lap record. Watch your back C7 Z06! ;)

[@tealchief]

What tires run on this car?

[@TheSlipAngle]

A little suspension tuning and a little more tire would make this car an absolute weapon! But at the end of the day, does it really matter? This car is a great joy to drive and that's what matters the most.

[@RYCOPZ]

Uh oh. I think my bucket list just got fuller.

[@davidmccaughan2710]

8:08-8:50 is like a dream! Great camera work as always.

[@TheSlipAngle]

Thanks! That means a lot!

[@maybelive765]

this is awesome. Literally what I wanted since I was 14.

[@TheSlipAngle]

It's a great formula

[@MikeDawson1]

@sarasotasupersportperformance let Throttle House review one, and your interest in these will skyrocket

[@mountainofmangos]

savagegeese would do this car justice

[@Dansyoung]

I am doing a similar swap into a 2005 RX8 - LS3, T56 magnum f, 8.8 with 3.73 gears. Thanks for the video it looks like it’s going to be a blast.

[@mykhailjw]

Holy cow! I would love to be able to do this to my 19 ND2. I absolutely love my car, but this would take it to the stratosphere.

[@renellplatero7408]

I want to start off by saying I'm a Ford man thru & thru. With that aside, even I can see the engineering that went into this build. That LS sounds sinister Mazda & Chevrolet need to collaborate & put this machine into production. Great job. Wow!

[@matthewadkins9810]

That LS3 is burdened by as much weight, so I'm sure it feels pretty lively! I think that Mazda weighs about 1,000lbs less than a 2006 GTO, hahaha

[@RobertMeany]

Awesome... Sorry if I'm being a broken record, but... I just wish, for those of us (and I know we are a small part of your viewership) that run the regular autocross days there, there was an easy way for you to shift over to using the same layout as we do so we have a basis for comparison on the times!

[@TheSlipAngle]

If you are talking about adding the uphill to our layout, that's most likely what will happen with every new car we test from this point on.

[@RobertMeany]

@@TheSlipAngle yessir, thanks!

[@NicoBremeau]

great driving and amazing review.

[@maxcactus7]

Positively efffing MENTAL!! I want one!!

[@alphadriver2840]

Long time subscriber from down under here.. props to you Quinn for articulating things whilst hanging the car sideways at decent speed + love the slow shots too! This thing is an absolute weapon and I secretly dream of doing this to an ND in the future. Having owned an NB previously, now own an FD, my million dollar question to you is.. What's your take on how this compares (if you can compare it), to your FD? Balance, power, overall feel + fun factor?

[@TheSlipAngle]

Thank you brother. It's just an entirely different car. Not better, not worse, just different. The FD still holds a spot in my top 5 cars of all time.

[@tomek9567]

perfect i want this for nc

[@dexterkeano]

A great idea to stick in the LS3. I hope we get a factory Porsche Boxster 2.0 or 2.5T type power presentation from Mazda in the future.

[@tomoday4450]

Looks like great fun 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@grubinski]

I was happy to hear that this is just under 2800# with no driver. I'd seen another road test that said 3000#. Of course, my LS swapped NA (471 rwhp) is 2400#. But either is plenty fast enough, I'm sure.

[@TheeBoss87]

I love that synthwave is getting so popular😂. Great car too. I wonder how driving this would compare to the way more affordable c7.

[@constantinrenoir8273]

Very great job man! It could be possible for next videos to fix a camera on the pedalbox to film your footwork please? :)

[@TheSlipAngle]

Something we always talk about. We will try to make it a point to do it.

[@constantinrenoir8273]

@@TheSlipAngle Great, thank you very much! ;)

[@DeadVibe_]

I want an nd to add to my miata collection so bad

[@bandlover4life472]

I think you can get an ND1 for around 16k maybe less

[@TheSlipAngle]

It's a great chassis!

[@Tony_miata]

It's the only Miata devoid of steering feel and involvement. Test drive first. Hardest if passes for me

[@vrrrrrr-uwu]

@@Tony_miata eh... you're not wrong about the steering, but at the same time- you get used to it, and then you don't miss it. The steering is very light and easy to use. You're never fighting the wheel. Drifting is very intuitive and controllable. It's not *completely* devoid of steering feel but yeah it's nothing like hydraulic.

[@EVOVIISWE]

​@@Tony_miata This build includes a Camaro hydraulic rack, so no electric assist any more.

[@jeddfahnestock3737]

This thing must rip! I put a crate LS3 (430hp) into my 996 Porsche and when it was done weighed 2900#. It was so torquey first gear was worthless especially since it didn't have a limited slip.

[@VictorPitstop]

FINALLY!!

[@TheSlipAngle]

Sorry, this one took a while to release. Life happens sometimes...

[@VictorPitstop]

@@TheSlipAngle the KZbin grind is unrelenting.

[@wackit6756]

The adrenaline and racing heart continued on me after watching! So much fun. I do think this application would look better in the soft top as opposed to an RF but hey, it works. 👍

[@TheSlipAngle]

We personally like the look of RF but the soft top is about 100lbs lighter!

[@gcooper9]

My 30AE RF needs this.

[@TexasVexes]

What a monster.

[@arrivendrive6831]

Nice camera work. I was surprised to see it was only 2 tenths faster than the OEM version. I am sure that on a larger 5 would be a bigger gap. That Z06 put down a super impressive lap.

[@TheSlipAngle]

The ND you're speaking of was supercharged and setup as a dedicated track car. It was substantially faster than a stock ND. The Z06 though heavier has substantially more tire and power than this car. If you put more tire under this ND and decrease the rear roll stiffness a little, this car would no doubt set a record on this track. For a prototype car without much suspension setup, this did extremely well.

[@arrivendrive6831]

That car is defenetly impressive. I would prefer a Mazda engine like a rotary 20b NA, but I do like the v8 also.

[@JacesOwnWorld]

Miata owners: The Miata doesn’t need more power. All you power guys need to chill. It’s about handling. Miata owners after seeing this video: I need more power. 🤣🤣🤣

[@AstroZombie1]

I agree Miatas could use a little more power, but an LS3 with 430whp on a car that can only handle 235 tires just seems like overkill. Rarely in this video does he maintain traction with even slight acceleration. I think threshold for max power and quickest track times is well below 400whp and probably closer to 275-300whp, which would warrant a beefy 2.0 or 3.0 turbocharged motor.

[@TheSlipAngle]

lol

[@summushieremiasclarkson4700]

@@AstroZombie1 What the miata needs - an inline 6. Power is irrelevant, even if it made the same 181hp, an inline 6 is way better for balance, handling, smoothness, and is usually the same weight as an i4 due to the lack of balancing weights inside the engine, and usually less complex.

[@TheBiigBadWolf]

I want one so bad, its like your own little personal pocket rocket lol weave through traffic w ease and end of the day, find a parking spot anywhere, it fits lol and thiefs dont pay attention to them because hello its a miata🙃🤷🏽‍♂️

[@groo2765]

God that has to be so heavy!

[@SilverSurfer77]

I believe the engine and driveline only added 150 lbs.

[@groo2765]

👍

[@TheSlipAngle]

2790 lbs

[@travisswanson3449]

167th big fat like. Call it the Sidewinder SS, just to stick with the modern day Shelby cobra progressive snake naminculture, the hint at the Chevy engine, and the sideways nature, lol.

[@Kevaughan]

Do any customers buy these for racing (i.e. Gridlife) or most of the owners just for drive casually?

[@just.a.simplejoe]

235/40 R17 ........ on this V8 monster. Wtf, they crazy. I run alongside many other hpde ND guys at 245/40 R17 with a stock na ND2 and I can let the car loose at 200hp. Jesus help the owner.

[@TheSlipAngle]

A street car with maximum grip is not as fun as one without...

[@just.a.simplejoe]

@TheSlipAngle I guess that's one way of approaching it hahaha. It's a sweet ride but good heavens are those tiny tires for that power to weight ratio.

[@illsz]

I've got an LS3 NC down in VA with 255s, and I can confirm it still spins the RT615K+ pretty well 😁

[@TheSlipAngle]

@@just.a.simplejoe We were actually surprised how well those Azenis were able to handle the power especially in that size.

[@yeetusdeletus9]

i get the feeling this car wasnt designed to really chase laptimes. it was built so you smile as you drive it, and breathe a sigh of relief when you step out of it lmao

[@mnap89]

Now you can drive with AC on and still accelerate! :P

[@ikigai47]

It's like cutting a birthday cake with a chainsaw

[@JDtimesten]

This looks like a desirable exotic that could cost less than many desirable NA 80's Porsche 911s.

[@seaofrage]

Shiet this guy can drive! I gotta watch him rip it in more cars.

[@Evelyn1AuthorDay]

Talk about kinematic posture control on steroids!

[@rynorx7]

I’d love build my own in Aus

[@bananers6013]

What do they charge for the conversion?

[@colinbowman8816]

2790 lb full fuel, no driver. Gained around 350 lb in the swap? Seems like a lot. I'm sure it's absolutely worth it though.

[@R03333]

Better to think of it as a lighter muscle car than a heavier Miata

[@colinbowman8816]

@@R03333 1120 lb lighter than a newer LT1 Camaro. Around 50 lb lighter than a new GR86. Pretty cool.

[@AlumarsX]

Same weight as a stripped out S2000 with double the power and triple the torque

[@TheSlipAngle]

@R03333 This

[@billm5004]

38.52 lap time seems impressive. What is the record there?

[@dantrevino6193]

Looks like fun and interested to know what the track times were compared to other cars on the same track. The setup and tires don't favor track driving, but it looks like it is capable and with a few adjustments it could be a serious track beast. But I think the market is going to be more street and weekend driving on curvy roads. The cost is about right for such a fine-tuned car that is not going to get you killed. Corvettes are 100k plus and Mustangs are about 60k but this is one of the ultimate handling and power capable cars for miles of smiles.

[@Nebbia_affaraccimiei]

Im shocked it didn’t beat that boat of C7 on all seasons

[@jjchockey]

@@Nebbia_affaraccimiei235 tires vs 295 tires.

[@Nebbia_affaraccimiei]

LoL more rubber is useless if you cant use it properly

[@markmartin7384]

He has lap times of other cars at the end

[@markmartin7384]

​@@Nebbia_affaraccimiei c7 is a more capable chassis

[@travdripdrip382]

C7 still bested em. That's crazy! I thought for sure this would beat the c7

[@Arcaged]

That thing is a dragster all that power is wasted if you don't drive it with eggs under your foot but i think if you master it it can match

[@TheSlipAngle]

A little suspension tuning and more tire would make this car considerably faster.

[@rooneyw2208]

This looks like the most fun you can have with your clothes on

[@grocerylist]

It appears to be a fun drift toy, but it seems wasteful with 235 tires. I am not a fan of widebody kits, but with this much horsepower, it seems necessary to fit more appropriately sized tires. It would have been nice to see an attempt at a good lap time rather than drifting around the entire track.

[@TheSlipAngle]

The first part of the session was strictly for lap time.

[@grocerylist]

​@TheSlipAngle sorry, i must have missed the laptime.

[@mastercricket7626]

Cool car , but I still prefer the feel of a turbo 4cyl

[@JohnnysGarage]

i want this but man its expensive

[@crool88]

Do you know how much it costs?

[@JohnnysGarage]

@@crool88 car+the work = about $100k

[@crool88]

@@JohnnysGarage yikes. Pretty sure the entire package was about $50k when Flyin Miata was doing it (not including the base car)

[@junk3996]

@@JohnnysGarage for this though, that isn't bad at all you'll be spending like 100k for whatever else too and it isn't as unique or crazy

[@seanmabey1609]

While I love a big engine in a small car, id like to see the difference between this and a turbo k24 swap in the same car

[@andrewrossnagel9433]

Depends on the K24. Lightly modded vs built k24 is big difference in price.

[@TheSlipAngle]

I don't think anyone has actually K swapped an ND yet

[@monaro383]

looked like it was a diff problem (LSD loose) spinning inside wheel. nice car tho

[@TheSlipAngle]

It's from the stiffer rear bar. Too much roll stiffness in the rear

[@Nebbia_affaraccimiei]

No LSD???

[@TheSlipAngle]

It's got an LSD from a Camaro ZL1 1LE, not sure if thats a Torsen or clutch pack diff though..

[@neilobusk]

Tasty for sure..... we call it raaging it...Hooon... Its a Pocket rocket... sort of like the lady I need... Matcheeeeews on the cam..? excellenteeeee N x

[@philb8437]

This is just so odd, it feels so much like the sound track of the v8 has been added to a video of a miata, it just doesn't belong

[@johncanale3454]

First. In before he says it's a baby corvette

[@ricepony33]

I guess that makes me last? ;)

[@JFaucey]

Going for fast laps but didnt even put the top on... All kinds of drag

[@TheSlipAngle]

It's not like all the money is on the line for some championship race series. We film these videos to show what realistic any day of the week performance looks like. So the cars are run just as they are run on the street unless otherwise noted. This isn't a high speed course so the difference in drag is probably negligible anyways.

[@Joey_Freshwater1]

Man this thing needs a widebody and at least 285 tires

[@lucas____6403]

sounded like that lsd really wasn't doing it's job

[@TheSlipAngle]

It's the stiffer rear sway bar picking up the inside wheel which causes the LSD to unlock. It's an easy fix

[@roustabout4fun]

That looks like funn~ I want m0re feelavisi0n! lol You have a fun job and hobby!

[@cablecutter12]

Exponentially? LOL 155 squared is over 24k, not 400 or 500. The word you were searching for is Geometrically.

[@TheSlipAngle]

I said performance, not horsepower. Thanks for watching!

[@jdcarguy1242]

Seriously under-tired.

[@chipattack912]

Why don’t you run the real track?

[@TheSlipAngle]

It's a lot to try to film with only a 2 man crew and it costs a good amount more money to rent.

[@chipattack912]

@@TheSlipAngle makes sense

[@elesjuan]

These videos anger me to my absolute core. Way back in 2016 I popped yet another 1.8 turbo engine in my NA MX5, only to have my shithead brother plant the idea of "why not just LS swap your car?" in my head. Legit did not want to spend the actual THOUSANDS of dollars on the V8R subframe, tarns/diff mounts... My brother is a pro metal fabricator by trade, says to me, "get me a stock subframe and we'll make the rest." 45 minutes later he had a stock subframe, meanwhile I go click click click and have an L33, Hurst t56 Magnum, axles, diff, etc etc etc etc.... What is today? July 2024, my brother has yet to lift a finger building me a subframe for an LS swap. FFS....

[@TexasVexes]

Gonna have to pay someone else at this point. You already have all the other parts it seems.

[@sarasotasupersportperformance]

Sell brother Buy Miata SS

[@lamontcranston8181]

All that power wasted on a hideous Miata. Any performance is completely drowned out by that disgusting body.

[@colin_g]

Of course the car is impressive and exciting, but man does it ever look good too. I think the black RF with the 6ULs looks spectacular, like a mean little Japanese muscle car